I constantly questioned the reliability of the narrator. Even given that the genre of memoir is granted a lot of license in the realm of interpretation, the “education” portion of the tale struck me as most suspect. No matter how great an auto-didact one might be, is it possible there was the dearth of home schooling she asserts, given her later academic successes? As education is a central theme, this was a sticking point for me as a reader.

Remember how Mists of Avalon won the heart of a certain generation by telling a classic tale from the vantage point of a previously vilified vixen? Miller has written a mesmerizing book that reminds us of an almost-forgotten hero‘s journey and the goddesses/gods who rule & ruin the circumstances of all on the journey. The character of Circe is fundamentally flawed and fascinating from birth to grave, growing in divine prowess and wisdom. #library